-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A powerful storm system that ripped through the Louisville , Kentucky , area left thousands of people without power and forced the closing of the internationally famous Churchill Downs racetrack on Thursday .

The National Weather Service said damage from the Wednesday night system , which also struck the University of Louisville campus , likely resulted from tornadoes . However , Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Sharp said that can not be confirmed until a storm survey is completed later Thursday .

A storm survey confirmed that an F-1 tornado touched down in Jeffersontown , Kentucky , east of Louisville , according to the National Weather Service . The tornado uprooted trees and blew debris across short distances , but no injuries or fatalities occurred , according to the survey .

A separate survey was still on-going in the Churchill Downs area , said the Weather Service .

The storms also spawned flash floods that left two motorists stranded in their cars amid the rising waters , according to CNN-affiliate WAVE . They were rescued by firefighters , the Louisville television station reported .

About 8,500 customers lost electricity , according to Louisville-Jefferson County emergency officials .

In a statement early Thursday , Churchill Downs announced that the horse track would be closed all day for racing and training because of damage left behind by the storm . However , the track 's training facility , Trackside Louisville , was not damaged and will remain open , the statement read .

Churchill Downs also said it had contacted the Red Cross about finding temporary shelter for 100 stable-area workers whose living quarters `` were damaged or compromised by the strong winds . ''

Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby .

`` Nine barns suffered significant damage as a result of the storm , which reportedly produced tornadoes in the metro Louisville area , '' the statement read .

Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said no one was injured , including any of the 1,400 horses stabled at the facility .

However , track officials early Thursday were preparing to relocate as many as 150 horses . Rogers said the horses may need to be moved because of the possibility that the storm had left nails on the ground , which could injure the animals .

Buddy Rogers , a spokesman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management said his agency had not received reports of injuries at the racetrack or elsewhere .

CNN 's Ben Smith contributed to this report .

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Churchill Downs racetrack is closed because of storm damage

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Barns are damaged at the famous horse track and stable workers have been relocated

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The National Weather Service says the area was likely hit by tornadoes